Hey guys! As I posted earlier I am working on NaNoWriMo this month and I thought I would post a couple of flash fictions stories on my blog. I am trying hard to make it through to 50,000 words, and my cousin demanding more pages is helping me to stay going. The story I am posting today was a fun, super short exercise from my creative writing class a couple of years ago. We had to write a scene that seemed like one thing, but was something completely different and it couldn’t be more than one single-spaced page. Feel free to let me know what you think! Hope you enjoy it 🙂
The Hunt
As soon as the hunter stepped outside, she could sense her prey. She could breathe its scent on the breeze, see the animal’s paw prints in the dirt, and hear its light chatter in the distance. Her senses were very alive and active; instantly, her instincts took over and she began tracking. Quietly, she padded her way along the trail. It didn’t take long to catch up to the unsuspecting creature.
The hunter crept through the bushes, eyes locked on her target. Quietly, she watched her prey as it scavenged about, unaware of her existence. Slowly, she inched closer, careful to make no noise. A tiny crunching sound made her freeze and her prey’s head popped up, listening attentively. The hunter knew it was not her feet that produced the sound; she was far too careful. She scanned the area, and though she didn’t see anything, she knew there was another predator here to steal her prey. She crouched even lower to the ground, making sure she was well hidden from both her target and her adversary. Luckily, the creature went back to its foraging since it heard no other noises, thinking it was safe. She had to make sure she got to it before the other hunter. This hunt was no longer about filling her belly, now it had become competitive.
Everything was peaceful again aside from the light rummaging of the hunter’s game. Once more, she glanced over the area looking for her rival, and then she saw a set of green eyes staring intently at her expected meal. So focused was her rival that he hadn’t even notice the presence of another hunter. He stood, took two more gradual steps forward, then positioned his feet in such a stance that the hunter knew he was about to spring on her quarry, but she had already prepared herself for this outcome and was ready in her own position to strike him and keep him from what was hers.
Her opponent dashed forward, his quick legs taking him swiftly toward the object of the hunt, but her own legs were much stronger and faster than his, and she met him with a painful head-butt to his ribs, sending him crashing to the ground, stunned. While her competitor was in a daze from the surprise attack, she hastily changed course to pursue her target instead of continuing the assault, but when he realized what had happened he followed her with angry noises and the hurried thud of feet pounding against the earth, inching ever closer. They both raced towards the prey that was trying to scramble away; he was right on her tail! The adrenaline from the close competition gave her a final burst of energy and she leapt, landing directly on the screeching gray pelt of her victim. As she stood over the bleeding creature, she hissed possessively at her foe and took the tail into her mouth to claim herself victor.
“Princess!! Here kitty!!” The sound of a door shutting followed the female voice that had called the hunter. She knew it was time to go back inside since her owner had just arrived back home. Her opponent still standing near her, the hunter flicked up her tail, held her head high, mouse in tow, and pranced triumphantly back to her house, slipping through the cat door, satisfied by the day’s hunt.
On The Shelf 